FireStream 9250 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

FireStream 9250

2008Core: 625 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
RTX family
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FireStream 9250 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

FireStream 9250 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

FireStream 9250

2008

Why buy it

  • Draws 150W instead of 200W, a 50W reduction.
  • Measures 234mm instead of 242mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (1,165 vs 20,312).
  • Less VRAM, with 1 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 150.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $999 MSRPvs$399 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • +1643.5% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $600 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 4265.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 1.2 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 1 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 33.3% higher power demand at 200W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1643.5% in PassMark G3D (20,312 vs 1,165), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 1 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 55nm, and 38 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti makes the most sense to buy today. It is $600 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 4265.4% (50.9 vs 1.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

FireStream 9250 vs GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

AMD

FireStream 9250

The FireStream 9250 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 625 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,165 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the FireStream 9250 scores 1,165 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 20,312 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 1643.5%. The FireStream 9250 is built on TeraScale while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti uses Ampere, both on 55 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 800 (FireStream 9250) vs 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Raw compute: 1 TFLOPS (FireStream 9250) vs 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
G3D Mark Score
1,165
20,312+1644%
Architecture
TeraScale
Ampere
Process Node
55 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
800
4864+508%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1 TFLOPS
16.2 TFLOPS+1520%
ROPs
16
80+400%
TMUs
40
152+280%
L1 Cache
0.16 MB
4.8 MB+2900%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
4 MB+1500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The FireStream 9250 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The FireStream 9250 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives you 700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the FireStream 9250 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (FireStream 9250) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
VRAM Capacity
1 GB
8 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
64-bit
256-bit+300%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
4 MB+1500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10.1 (FireStream 9250) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Vulkan: N/A vs 1.3. OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 1 vs 4.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
DirectX
10.1
12 Ultimate (12_2)+19%
Vulkan
N/A
1.3
OpenGL
3.3
4.6+39%
Max Displays
1
4+300%
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (FireStream 9250) vs NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Decoder: UVD 2.0 vs NVDEC (Ampere). Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1 (FireStream 9250) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Encoder
None
NVENC (Ampere)
Decoder
UVD 2.0
NVDEC (Ampere)
Codecs
H.264,VC-1
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The FireStream 9250 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 200W — a 28.6% difference. The FireStream 9250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (FireStream 9250) vs 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 8-pin. Card length: 234mm vs 242mm, occupying 1 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: Unknown vs 75.

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
TDP
150W-25%
200W
Recommended PSU
350W-42%
600W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
8-pin
Length
234mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
1-50%
2
Temp (Load)
Unknown-100%
75
Perf/Watt
7.8
101.6+1203%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the FireStream 9250 came in at $999, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti was 60.1% cheaper ($600 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.2 (FireStream 9250) vs 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 4141.7% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (2020 vs 2008).

FeatureFireStream 9250GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
MSRP
$999
$399-60%
Performance per Dollar
1.2
50.9+4142%
Codename
RV770
GA104
Release
June 16 2008
December 1 2020
Ranking
#840
#73

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